‘Raising the Bar ’ for pubs reeling under COVID-19 impact: Diageo

MUMBAI: Liquor mak er Diageo India on W ednesday announced a Rs 75crore programme ' Raising the Bar' to suppor t bars , pubs and restaurants serving alcohol to help them recover from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

'Raising the Bar' is a twoyear pr ogramme to support the revival and recovery of bars , pubs and restaurants acr oss cities including Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru, Diageo India said in a statement.

Diageo designed this programme following a global survey of bar o wners to identify k ey priorities to support reopening.

Their top priorities included hygiene measur es, digital support and practical equipment and training to transform how their outlets will w ork w hen they reopen, Diageo said.

Following resumption of business opera tions and the sale of alcohol in bars, pubs and restaurants, outlets will be able to register their inter est f or the pr ogramme, it said.

It will pr ovide h ygiene kit, sanitiser and personal protection equipment and also help bars , pubs and restaurants serving alcohol to esta blish par tnerships with online r eservations and cashless systems. Dia geo India Managing Director Anand Kripalu said: "T he r evival of this sector is vital to the economy and to the success of our business. 'Raising the Bar' is our commitment to qualifying pubs , bars and r estaurants tha t serve alcohol." T his support extends to pr oviding enhanced safety measures when they r esume operations so tha t their b usiness and emplo yment can revive, ena bling consumers to feel confident once again to socialise and lead normal lives, he said.

Under Unloc k 1.0, the government has permitted restaurants to r esume dine-in service fr om June 8, with adherence to social distancing norms and other safety guidelines.